It's time to have each other's backs

Plus, Ontario wants more immigrants and experts want more boosters [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on government action on the nationwide Rogers outage, Ontario’s plan to combat labour shortages and the push for expanding vaccine booster eligibility. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Cole Burston wireless woes [Ottawa is telling telecoms to back each other up during outages]( Rogers’ nationwide system failure knocked out payment services, 911 availability and connectivity for more than 12 million customers across the country. Now, Ottawa is giving Canada’s telecom companies 60 days to reach formal agreements on how they’ll back each other up during outages, offer competitors’ customers emergency roaming services and communicate better with the public about system failures. The federal industry minister is also ordering a formal inquiry into the disruption. [Here’s what could come next for Canada’s telecoms and how it’ll affect you](. - Wait, what? [Here are four things you need to know about the outage](. - The aftermath: “Disappointing at best” and irresponsible at worst. [Here’s why experts say Rogers Communications dropped the ball on communicating about outage](. - Another angle: [Canadians were left uncertain and suspicious about what was going on during the outage]( one expert writes. - On the home front: Toronto is eyeing ways to reduce its reliance on Rogers. [Here’s how the outage affected the city](. - ICYMI: [Here’s why critics say the massive Rogers outage proves Canadians needs more telecom options](. Canadian Press/Cole Burston immigration [Doug Ford wants to combat labour shortages with more immigrants ]( An immigration agreement between Ontario and the federal government is set to be renewed this fall and the premier plans on negotiating for Ontario’s rules to mimic Quebec’s — taking in more workers and having more say in the types of skills they have. Seeking support from provincial and territorial leaders at the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation, Ford is also calling for shorter wait times for processing workers, which currently can take more than two years. [Here’s why some politicians want the province to have more choice](. - By the numbers: Ontario says it has 378,000 unfilled jobs, mainly in health care and construction. It had been hoping to be allocated 18,000 immigrant workers (double the 9,000 initially allowed) but received 9,700 this year. - More: Speaking of the need to work with the federal government, B.C. Premier John Horgan said his province has seen a record-breaking influx of newcomers, which increases the need for more housing, schools and health care. Canadian Press/Nathan Denette the rollout [Calls to expand access to fourth doses are getting louder]( As the BA.5 variant drives a new COVID wave, many Ontarians remain ineligible for a fourth dose of a COVID vaccine. Now, some health-care workers are taking the matter to the courts — putting together a lawsuit that argues that restricting second boosters is discriminatory under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “We don’t need to ration, there’s no scarcity,” Ottawa family doctor Nili Kaplan-Myrth says. [Here’s what we know about the booster rollout in Ontario](. - Who’s eligible now? People over 60 and people living in long-term care, retirement homes and other group settings, as well as First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals and members of their households, plus some immunocompromised people. - Now what? Ontario’s chief medical officer said the government is planning on opening up eligibility more broadly to those aged 18-59. - Why it matters: A U of T study found [even those who caught COVID earlier this year can get reinfected now](. - ICYMI: [Here’s what you need to know about the summer COVID wave](. [Food Crawl launch] Eat your way through the best of the GTA. From strip mall standouts to downtown gems, nobody knows Toronto like the Star’s food team, and our new newsletter Food Crawl is your guide to where to go, what to order and why you’ve got to try it. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE The man accused of setting a woman on fire on a TTC bus has been charged with first-degree murder. [Here’s what we know](. Federal Conservatives are hiring an outside lawyer to review Patrick Brown’s appeal request. [Here’s the latest on his ousting](. [Workplace discrimination against Sikhs]( goes beyond the City of Toronto’s security guard lay offs. Hamilton residents are reeling after a [driver struck three pedestrians on Ottawa Street North](. Here’s one way to [reclaim the Canadian flag as a symbol of inclusiveness](. [Via Rail is still running – for now](. The strike deadline has been extended again. [A notorious Hells Angel imprisoned for killing two]( prison guards has died. Wilfrid Laurier University is [mourning the death of a second-year student](. Crime and endless punishment: [Denying multiple killers the chance of parole also denies the principles of our justice system]( Daniel Brown writes. A naked man in nothing but a hat and boots [committed an “indecent act” before fleeing, York police say](. POV Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh [Jean Charest gives angry Alberta Conservatives what they want — but they aren’t biting.]( CLOSE-UP NASA/CSA/ESA Space Telescope Science Institute SPACE: On Monday, the world got a look at the first science image from the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever built. The deep-space image shows thousands of galaxies and light that has been travelling toward the Earth for 13 billion years. [See more fascinating photos here](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_134094). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](